


Just a Slip

by miss_aligned



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mass Effect 1, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 04:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7920895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_aligned/pseuds/miss_aligned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it's a little too easy to make a fool of oneself in front of attractive people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Slip

“Big place.”

Shepard chuckled quietly. Kaidan said the words with such wonder and appreciation as he surveyed the fabled Citadel, she couldn’t help but find it adorable. She promptly scolded herself for thinking such a thing. He was attractive and charming and she knew that if she continued to let her thoughts wander along those lines, she’d find herself victim of a crush. There was no way she was getting involved with all of that unnecessary mess. She had plenty of other things to worry about at the moment, after all. There were numerous challenges already, any of which might jeopardize her life’s work, and they didn’t involve getting cozy with another officer.

As she and Ashley and Kaidan wandered the Citadel, running various errands, making contacts, and suffering the unending frustration of dealing with Udina and the Council, the commander came to appreciate her teammates all the more. Ashley had a very cynical and blunt way of interpreting things, while the lieutenant was quiet and insightful. She believed herself to be somewhere in the middle, which made for an oddly perfect team. She was glad to have them both at her side, particularly in a place where humans were not always respected.

The benign chatter that passed among the trio was pleasant and humorous, even through the darker, more sinister areas of the massive station. It helped to set the commander’s mind at ease, having only recently assumed the command of a fabled ship and its incredible crew. The uncertainty surrounding the changes began to melt away, thanks in no small part to the pair exploring the Citadel beside her. It seemed that they, too, were beginning to relax and adapt, even slipping into friendly conversation every now and again.

Even if it was a mere slip-up that caused Kaidan to call her beautiful, Shepard couldn’t help but smile. He probably hadn’t meant it, but that didn’t stop the moment for searing itself into her mind. It wasn’t every day that she was complimented (even if only by mistake) by a handsome man. Again, the all-too-familiar inner scolding occurred, and the commander began to suspect that her heart was starting to respond without her authority. Unacceptable.

The trio happened to meet up with an irritated C-Sec officer who went by the name of Garrus. It was a quick conversation, but in those few moments, the turian had made it clear that he was unhappy with some shady activity occurring on the Citadel involving Saren, and that his hands were tied. He was looking for help and clearly intended for the situation to be handled quickly, no matter how violent or unpleasant that resolution might be. Shepard shouldn’t have been surprised, really, as most of the turians she’d met were down-to-business types. There wasn’t much small talk to be had. Still, if he was looking to figure out what was going on with Saren, then he could very well be her new best friend.

“That’s pretty wild,” Kaidan commented as they set off once more toward the Council.

“What is?” Shepard inquired, not sure if he was looking around the Citadel again or if he’d figured something out in regards to their predicament.

“That turian. He’s got that look in his eye that says he’s about to do something drastic to get to the bottom of this,” he commented, nodding his head back in the direction of Garrus.

“We could probably use more people like that, in all honesty,” Shepard responded. She wasn’t the type to enjoy being bound by bureaucracy, either. That was exactly why they were here, after all, looking to push the limits of what humans were really allowed to handle in order to bring Saren to justice.

Ashley made a noise somewhere between a hum and a groan. The commander wasn’t quite sure what to make of it and was going to ask when Kaidan spoke up again.

“I just couldn’t imagine putting anyone in that sort of mind set, I guess. I couldn’t see someone being completely willing to risk their career just to catch me.”

“I would.”

Shepard froze. For a split second, she wasn’t sure if she’d just said the words out loud. She didn’t dare glance over her shoulder to check if her companions had heard it, either. The quiet snickering emanating from Ashley served well enough to confirm her worst fear. She’d just failed to filter her deepest, darkest thoughts and had inadvertently flirted with her lieutenant. She promptly died a little on the inside.

“I mean… if I were mad enough,” Shepard hastily added, speaking much louder than before as though that would cause them to forget what she’d previously said and how inappropriate it must have sounded. She knew that her fellow soldiers could probably see the flush of her skin from head to toe at her embarrassment, even if she couldn’t muster the strength to turn to face them. “Rage can be a hell of a motivator.”

Speaking of which, if Ashley didn’t stop laughing, there was going to be a problem.

“Commander, did you just say—” Ashley began, poorly hiding her amusement.

“Drop it, Chief. We’re going to be late.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am.”

Kaidan didn’t utter a word, and for a while, Shepard was rather sure that she’d just offended him. Just as she was about to step forward at the urging of Anderson and Udina, however, she cast a sidelong glance in his direction. He had a knowing little smile that made her heart skip a beat.

Unacceptable.


End file.
